I am so intrigued by the giraffe print I’ve been seeing in the fashion world. I love that it’s a different take on the normal animal prints we are used to seeing. My favorite is the black and white giraffe print. With a stencil and some paint this safari look could easily be replicated. What do you think? Would you rock the giraffe print look?
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DIY Braided Yarn Headband
03.20.13
I have a drawer of yarn just sitting in my craft area. I used to crochet and knit all the time, but lately, I do it pretty rarely. I wanted a project that would utilize some of my yarn collection without taking up all of my time. I was inspired by this headband, though on a much smaller scale.
You’ll need:
– Yarn (I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Cilantro)
– Needle and thread
– Hair-tie or rubber band
– Scissors
1. Cut your yarn into 64″ long pieces. I used 8 pieces of yarn per braided strand, for a total of 24, 64″ pieces. Tie one end of the braided strands together using a hair-tie or rubber band. Braid the yarn.
2. Continue braiding until you reach the end.
3. Machine or hand sew the two ends of your yarn, so the braid will stay in place.
4. Cut off any excess yarn.
5. Sew the two finished ends of the braid together.
And you’re done! Thanks to SimplyJolleen for modeling!
Beehive Watercolor Painting Tutorial
03.19.13
I love to watercolor. I love it more than just sketching. It is difficult though, and I’m still learning. I can watch youtube videos on different watercolor techniques for hours. I woke up this morning inspired to paint. My mind is on all things summer lately, so I chose to paint a simply beehive. It was fun to paint, though I made a few mistakes. But as Bob Ross use to say, “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents”.
What you’ll need:
– Watercolor Paper
– Watercolor Paint
– Thin Paintbrushes
– Paint Palette
– Brown Color Pencil
1. Start by tracing out the tree branch pattern lightly in pencil. Make a few larger branches with some smaller ones attached. Keep in mind where you want your beehive to hang. Paint your branches. I started by painting a faint brown layer, then going back and darkening some of the limbs.
2. Trace the shape of your beehive lightly in pencil. Fill in the beehive with a transparent layer of yellow. Let it dry. Go back and fill in some areas with the same yellow. Then, using a darker shade of yellow, fill in a few areas. Make sure to leave some of the previous layers visible for contrast.
3. Using the brown colored pencil, add squiggly lines for the honeycombs. I dipped my colored pencil into brown paint to create some thicker, darker lines.
4. Add your bees! I separated the bee’s body into three sections. Then add wings, stripes, antennas, and limbs. Add as many bees as you want!
Voila! Your very own beehive painting. It would look great in a white mat frame!
DIY Geo Ring
03.18.13
Polymer clay is one of my favorite materials to work with. It’s incredibly versatile if you just get creative enough. I was inspired by these rings, but with a twist. Add some paint and you can make rings in all sorts of shapes and colors.
What you’ll need:
-Polymer Clay
-Xacto Knife
-Crazy Glue
-Acrylic Paint and Paintbrush
-Ring Blanks
1. Start by kneading the clay until it is soft. This will make it easier to shape later.
2. Roll the clay into small balls. Mine varied in size of about a 1/2″ to 3/4″ in diameter.
3. Put the rolled balls into the freezer for about 20 minutes to harden.
4. Next use the Xacto to cut the base of the shape. Continue cutting of the rounded edges until you are left with only straight edges.
5. Following the instructions on the wrapper, bake your clay shapes.
6. Tape off sections of the shape (optional) and paint them any color you like.
7. Once the paint has dried, glue the base of the clay shape to the top of the ring blank. Let dry.
And you’re done! You can paint the shapes one color or combine multiple colors for a different look.
DIY Inspiration: Hanging Vases
03.15.13If you follow me on Pinterest, you’ll notice my recent obsession with hanging vases. There is so much variety of the look. You can use actual vases, or up-cycle a mason jar or glass bottle. Use string, wire or ribbon to hang. With spring just around the corner, a hanging vase would be the perfect way to showcase your plants and flowers.
